Film fans offered unlimited movie rentals

Kirby Brackstone, the new owner of Double W Home Entertainment, is offering unlimited DVD and Blu-ray rentals in three set-fee packages.

He is the first to offer this in Bermuda and is also ditching return due dates — marking an end to racing to the video store to avoid late fees.

Entrepreneur Mr Brackstone bought the business at the end of January.

He is in the process of rebranding the shop as Games & Flix.

Blu-ray

The store, on Dundonald Street, Hamilton, will house a games room with chairs so people can try before they buy.

Anyone signing up to one of the store’s monthly unlimited rental packages can also order DVDs, Blu-ray discs and games from overseas at cost price.

Mr Brackstone said: “As all our revenue is derived from the membership and not the margin, we will bring in what people want at cost, without taking a mark-up.

“It’s another value-added service we can provide to members.”

The unlimited monthly rental packages are a first for Bermuda and are similar to the services offered by US stores such as Netflix.

Mr Brackstone said: “I saw an opportunity here to provide a different type of service.

“Games & Flix will be different from the typical rental store in that people can rent an unlimited number of DVDs with no late fees because there is no due date.”

Customers can choose membership packages allowing them to rent up to three, five or seven movies at any one time.

Mr Brackstone said: “You can keep a movie for as long as you like.

“The unlimited plan offers better value for money than pay-as-you-go and it ends late fees. Through this monthly membership you can keep a DVD for a whole month, or longer.

“It’s the same principle as subscribing to cable. You could rent three movies and keep them for a week or a month, or return one movie one week, then take out another.

“You can rent out an unlimited number of DVDs so long as you only have three or five or seven out at any one time.”

DVDs are usually rented out for one or two nights based on a charge per film.

The average fee is $4 for two nights, with late return fees at $2 per night.

With the unlimited plans, it will cost $25 per month to rent three movies out at any one time, $35 for five and $50 for seven. Mr Brackstone said: “People say things in Bermuda are expensive but our pricing is competitive with the US.

“We can do this because we are small and so we can be a bit more creative.” The business might be “small” but since former owners Walter and Wilmont Simmons opened Double W in 2004, they have amassed more than 10,000 members.

Mr Brackstone said members can still rent movies on a pay-as-you-go basis but the monthly unlimited plans offer better value for money.

He said: “You could watch seven movies a night if you wanted to.

“This option gives our customers an opportunity to watch as many films as they like.

“It’s surprising how many customers rent out four or five movies at a time, such as on a rainy weekend. So over a month it all adds up.

“A flat rate offers people good value for money.”

The scheme is already taking off.

Mr Brackstone said: “We did a soft launch last Friday and it’s been well received even though we haven’t promoted it yet. We’ve had a couple of dozen members sign up so far.”

Optimistic

There are no additional fees on top of the monthly tier charges but members must pay a $100 deposit.

This is returned on final return of all DVD and game rentals when they wind up their membership.

Mr Brackstone, husband of Isabelle Ramsay-Brackstone, owner of the Bermuda Perfumery, said: “I’m very optimistic Bermuda is ready for an idea like this.

“People may be watching their pennies in the current economic climate but they still want to be entertained. So if you can offer them both, it’s a good deal.

“Even in a recession, history tells us that great ideas are born because people go back to basics.”